Heating apparatus



April 1950 G. E. PRICE 2,502,988

HEATING APPARATUS Filed April 25, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR 6 601191; 5'. Price ATTORNEY TTORNEY G E PRICE HEATING APPARATUS April 4, 1950 Filad April 25, 1947 WITNESSFS:

I GILL? Patented Apr. 4, 1950 HEATING APPARATUS George E. Price, Mansfield, Ohio, minor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application April 25, 1947, Serial No. 743,783

6 Claims.

This invention relates to plug-in type surfaceheating units used on electric ranges and has for an object to provide an improved device of this character.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for looking a plug-in type unit into a range platform.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a locking means which will have a minimum of movable parts and which will be easy to operate.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for positively aligning all component parts with respect to each other and to facilitate assembly by the user after disassembly for cleaning purposes.

These and other objects are effected by the invention as will be apparent from the following description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is atop plan view of a face heating unit;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section taken on line II-II of Fig. 1;

. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section taken on line IIIIII of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section taken on line IV-IV' of Fig. 1; and

plug-in type sur- Fig. 5 is an exploded view in vertical section, 1:;

showing the manner of assembly.

Referring to the drawings, Figs. 1 and 2 show a plug-in type surface heating unit generally designated disposed in a range platform II.

The surface heating unit comprises a heater unit l2, an annular support ring l3, and a reflector pan l4.

The range platform H. has a circular opening IS with a cylindrical pendant flange 16. This flange has two cutout portions I1 and I8 disposed substantially diammetrically opposite each other.

The support ring 13 has an upper outwardlydisposed flange IS, a vertical cylindrical portion and a lower inwardly-disposed flange 2|. An L-shaped tongue member 22,, which may be a spring member, is welded or otherwise secured to the cylindrical portion 20 of the support ring, and a plurality of vertically-disposed U-shaped spring members 23 are also'fastened to the cylindrical portion 23 in circumferentially-spaced relation to the tongue member 22. Adjacent to the tongue member is an indented portion 24 in the portion 20 and diametrically opposite is a circular opening 25 having an eyelet 26 disposed therein to cover any sharp edges which may occur in the manufacture of the support ring.

The reflector pan l4 may be formed integrally with the support ring I3; however, in the embodiment shown it is separable. Also, it may be all formed with an imperforate bottom, although I have shown it with an opening 21. In its upper portion, it includes an outwardly-disposed peripheral flange 28 having two lugs 29 in spaced relationship to each other and flanking a cutout portion 30. These lugs are inserted into two mating horizontal slots 3| in the support ring I3.

The heater unit l2 comprises a sheathed heater 32 spirally formed in substantially the same horizontal plane, to form a grid. This sheathed heater consists of a helically-wound resistance element 33 embedded in a refractory insulating material 34 and encased in a tubular metal sheath 35. More than one sheathed heater may be used and the tubular sheath may be of any desirable shape, although I have shown it as having a triangular cross section.

The spiral sheathed heater 32 is supported by a three-legged spider 36 having legs of circular cross section, and the two are fastened together by a plurality of U-shaped straps 31, which are secured to the sheathed heater. An escutcheon plate 33 may be attached to the central portion of the spider 36. The end portion of one leg of the spider is rounded to present a spherical surface 39 and is adapted to engage the indent 24 in the support ring [3 thus forming a latch.

The terminal portions 40 of the spiral sheathed heater 32 are brought down and out from the grid and are fastened to a terminal shield 4| in any suitable manner to prevent relative shifting with respect to each other and the shield. Electrical contacts 42 are fastened to electrical terminals 43 which in turn are internally connected to the end portions of the resistance element 33. Fastened to the spider 36 and to the terminal shield 4| is a cylindrical locating member 44 having several bends, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 5, to dispose its end portion 45 substantially horizontal and diametrically opposite the spherical surface 39 of the spider 36.

A terminal block 46 of nonconducting material is fastened in any suitable manner to the underside of the range platform II and in line with the cutout I 1 in the range platform flange l6. This terminal block carries a pair of leaf springs having butt contacts 41 which are fastened to the terminal block and are. connected to a source of power (not shown) by terminal screws 48.

A flat spring 49 is anchored at its lower end to the terminal block in a central position such that its upper end abuts the end. portion 45 of the locating member 44 and biases the heater unit I2 to the left as shown in the drawings. This flat spring may also be used as a grounding terminal by connecting it to ground potential (not shown).

Assembly Referring to Figure 5, toasseinble the surface unit in place in the rangeopening I5, the supportwhen the U-shaped springs 23 engage the flange l6 and are compressed thereby. The tongue has two shoulders 50 which act as stops to limit its insertion into cutout IS. The spring compression biases the support ring to the left until further motion is stopped by tongue shoulders 50. The reflector pan 14, unless previously inserted or integral, is then lowered into the support ring 13 and its lugs 29 are inserted into mating slots.

3| in the vertical portion 20 of the support ring. It is then further lowered until its flange 28 is supported by the flange 2| of the'support ring. To insert the heater unit I2, it is tilted downwardly to the right at about a 30 degree angle and lowered until its locating end portion 45 enters eyelet 25 in the support ring portion 2% and through the cutout portion I! in the flange IS. The unit is then moved farther to the right until locating rod 45 abuts and deflects spring member 49 and contacts 42 abut and deflect spring contacts 41. The locating rod grounds the unit electrically before the contacts 42 are energized, protecting the operator against possible electric shock. The heater unit is then further lowered until its spider 36 rests on the peripheral flange 28 of the reflector pan l4 and the vertical tip 39 of the spider engages indented portion 2c in the support ring. This indented portion and spherical tip 39 form a latch, and the flat spring 49 exerting a bias to the left keeps this latch in engagement. It is now seen that the locating I be removed from the support ring until the latching engagement is broken. a

To disassemble the unit completely for repair or general cleaning purposes, the complete sequence of operations as above described, is reversed. Briefly, the spider latch 39 is disengaged from the'support ring [3 and the heater unit. [2 is swung upwardly to the right. The heater unit is then removed by withdrawing it to the left. ,The support ring [3 is now unlocked from. the platform H and may be lifted upwardly to the left. It is withdrawn by a movement to the right.

However, removal of the reflector pan for cleaning can be accomplished by first grasping the heater unit near the spherical tip 39 of the spider and exerting pressure tothe right, thus disengaging the latch. The heater unit is then tilted upwardly through an arcof about 30 degrees, whereby the. reflector pan Hi may be lifted out by inserting aflnger through opening 21, tilting the pan upwardly about the lugs 29as an axis through an arc of about 30 degrees and, shifting the reflector pan to the left, thus dis-' engaging the lugs 29 from the support ring slots 3| and completely freeing the pan from the unit;

What I claim is: 1. In an electric range, the combination of a range platform havingan opening therein and a pendant flange at the edge of said opening, an

annular support ring adapted to nest 'insaid:

platform opening, and a heater unit disposed within and supported by said annular support ring,said flange having an opening in:.afvertical plane and said ring having a substantially horizontal projection inserted through said opening to form an interlock against upward movement, said flange and said ring having aligned openings spaced peripherally from said first opening and projection, said heater unit having a substantially horizontal member extending through said aligned openings to lock-said heater unit and said support ring to the range platform and also having a latch member engaging said support ring at a point remote-from said aligned openings to complete and interlock between the platform, the ring and the heater unit, said ring being adapted to be swung upwardly about said first opening and projection when the horizontal member of the heating unit is withdrawn from the aligned openings.

2. The structure recited in claim 1 and further including a spring member disposed below said platform, the horizontal member of the heater unit abutting and deflecting said spring member, said spring thereby providing a bias on the heater unit urging said latch into locking engagement with said support ring.

3. The structure recited in claim 2 in which said spring member is an electrical grounding contact.

4. In an electric range, the combination of a range platform having an opening therein, an annular support ring adapted to nest in said platform opening, and a heater unit disposed within and detachablysupported by said annular ring, said ring having a substantially horizontal projection engaging the said platform on the underside thereof to form an interlock against upward movement, said ring also having an opening in a vertical portion spaced peripherally from said projection and said heater unit having a substantially horizontal member extending through said opening and below the said platform to lock said heater unit and said support ring to the range platform and also having a latch member engaging said support ring at a point remote from said opening to complete an interlock between the platform, the ring and the heater unit, said ring being adapted to be.

swung upwardly about its projection when the horizontal member of the heater unit is withdrawn from interlocking engagement.

5. The structure recited in claim 4 and further including a spring member disposed below said platform, said horizontal member of the heater.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in thefile of this patent;

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name I Date Re. 22,177 Sharp Sept. 8, 1942, 2,177,173 Dadson Oct. 24, 1939 2,320,041 McCormick May 25, 1943 Morton Apr. 8,1947.

Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,502,988 April 4, 1950 GEORGE E. PRICE It is hereby certified that errors appear in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 4, line 4, for the word plane read portion; line 15, for and before interlock read an;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 27th day of June, A. D. 1950.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Commissioner of Patents.

Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,502,988 April 4, 1950 GEORGE E. PRICE It is hereby certified that errors appear in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 4, line 4, for the word plane read portion; line 15, for and before interloc read an;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 27th day of June, A. D. 1950.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Commissioner of Patents. 

